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The International Violin Competition Leopold Mozart Augsburg 2019 is now open for online registration. This 10th edition will take place in the year of the 300th birthday of Leopold Mozart, under the direction of the new Artistic Director Linus Roth. One of his innovations is a jury of music critics, in which Pizzicato’s Remy Franck will participate in 2019.

The most important change affects the candidates. From 2019, no students, present or past, of a jury member or of the artistic director may enter the competition – a singular and ground-breaking step towards more objectivity in the competition.

In addition to the first prize winner of the 2nd Leopold Mozart Competition, Benjamin Schmid (jury chairman), the jury consists not only of violinists but also of prominent personalities from other music segments such as violist Nils Mönkemeyer, cellist Christian Poltéra and John Gilhooly, director of London’s Wigmore Hall. Besides Remy Franck (Pizzicato), Jens F. Laurson (IA-Forum) and Anna Picard (Times und Independent) are members of the critic’s jury.

The competition aims at discovering holistic musical personalities. Therefore the basic concept has been broadened. The jury will not only evaluate musical and technical abilities, but also communicative and social skills during the rehearsal of the chamber piece. The ability to independently assemble a consistent program will be another criteria. In the finals, the candidates will have to play a Mozart concerto and a great romantic concerto in one day.

The entire process has been optimized and tightened. Rather than approx. 50 participants like in the previous competitions, in 2019 only 24 violinists will be competing. With only three rounds (instead of four), the competition will be three days shorter than in the past.

The 10th International Violin Competition Leopold Mozart is organized by the Leopold-Mozart-Kuratorium Augsburg e. V. and will take place from 31 May until 8 June 2019 with Salvatore Accardo as honorary president. The competition is dedicated to the memory of the father of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Leopold, who was born in Augsburg in 1719. His comprehensive Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing was published in Augsburg in 1756. As the German Mozart City, Augsburg’s objective is to recall the educational and internationally unifying influence of educator, composer and European Leopold Mozart.

Registration for participation in the competition is possible until 7 December 2018 and only online. Violinists between 15 and 30 years of age from any nation may apply.